Educational toy



Dec. 28, 1943. DONOVAN Q 2,337,978

EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed Sept. 2, 1942 gin 0c nfov Donovan Noam Patented Dec. 28, 1943 2,337,978 EDUCATIONAL TOY Edward Francis Donovan, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Cappel, MacDonald and Company, Dayton,

Ohio

Application September 2, 1942, Serial No. 457,069

4 Claims.

of simple construction which will serve as an educational element in teaching the combination 'of certain primary colors to produce secondary and tertiary colors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a color creating means which embodies the use of segments having primary colors thereon, and the segments being positionable on a rotary carrier in such an arrangement as to produce the desired secondary color upon rotation of the carrier.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved segment carrier in the form of a spinning top, the carrier having a disc-shaped body which is formed at its outer margin with an upstanding segment retaining flange, and which is formed in the center thereof with an overlapping flange engaging over the inner ends of the segments, so that the centrifugal force generated by rapid rotation of the carrier will not cause the segments to be disengaged therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved holder engageable about the spindle of the device which will retain the winding cord on the spindle and permit holding the device in suspended relation in one hand while the free end of the cord is grasped in the other hand and pulled outwardly.

A further object of this invention is to provide an educational device of this kind which is also an article of amusement, entertainment, or education for children or grown-ups.

With the foregoing objects in View, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment of this invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention, as claimed. I

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an educational toy constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, the holder and winding cord, forming part of the toy, being removed;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the holder and winding Figure '7 is a plan view of a further segment used with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l0 designates generally a rotatable carrier which includes a vertical spindle or shaft II having a pivotal point I3 at the lower end thereof. The spindle II is fixed in a central opening I2 which is formed in a disc-shaped body or plate I4. The plate I4 is secured to the spindle II between the ends thereof and the body I4 at its outer margin is formed with an upstanding flange I5. The flange I5 on the inner side thereof is vertically disposed as at It and the flange I5 .forms a segment seat I1 on the upper side of the body I4. The body I4 at the center thereof is formed with an upwardly extending hub forming mem- 'ber I8 which is provided with an annular flange I9 overlying the inner portion of the segment seat H.

The body I4 is adapted to have removably positioned in the segment seat I! thereof, a plurality of segments 29. The segments 20, at their inner ends, are formed with a concave inner end portion 2| which is adapted to engage beneath the annular flange I9, and the outer convex edge '22 of each segment is adapted to contact with the inner side of the marginal flange I5 so that when the carrier Iii is rapidly rotated the several segments engaging on the seat I! will be firmly held thereon against centrifugal force developed by the rapid rotation of the carrier Ill. The segments 20 have, on one side thereof, a primary color 23, such as red'and on the opposite face of certain of the segments 20, a second primary color 24, such as yellow, is impressed thereon. The segments 20 are preferably arranged in such a manner as to provide for the exposure of alternate primary colors in order that when the carrier I9 is rapidly rotated a secondary color such as orange will be produced from the two primary colors 23 and 24.

In Figure 5 there is disclosed another segment 20a which is similar in every detail to the segment 20 with the exception that the segment 2w has, on one face thereof, a blue color 25. The segment 20:: may, on the opposite face thereof, have the primary color 23, or red.

In Figure 6 there isdisclosed anothersegrnent 2%, similar in every detail to the segment 20, with the exception that one face of the segment 20b is formed with a primary color 2b, such as yellow, and the opposite face of the segment 20?) may have a blue color thereon similar to the color 25 on the segment 20a.

In Figure 7 there is disclosed another segment 200, similar to the segments 20 with the exception thatone face 21 thereof has'the color blackthereon, whereas the opposite face of the segment 29:: may have the color white. The several segments may be interchanged or arranged in anysuitable manner so as to provide the desired secondary or tertiary colors.

The spindle ll, at a point above the carrier body It, has a transverse opening 23 therethrough, and one end of a winding and operating cord 28 is adapted to be extended through the opening 28 with the remainder of the cord 29 wound about the spindle ll and the opposite or free end 38 thereof extended from the carrier body M- for grasping in one hand in order that pull on the free end 351 will elfect rotation of the carrier IE3, In order to provide a means whereby the carrier it may be conveniently held in one hand during the rotation thereof, as the cord 25 is being pulled therefrom, I have provided a holder, generally designated as 3 l. The holder 31 includes an upper bearing member as which is formed with an offset opening 33 through which the spindle i l is adapted to loosely projec The holder 3! also includes a lower bearing member 34 formed with an offset opening for loosely receiving the spindle i i. The two bearing members 32 and fa l are connected together by means of a transversely arcuate connecting member 38 which is preferably integral with the two bearing members 32 and 3%,

In actual construction, the holder Ell is constructed in the form of a slightly elliptical sleeve which is then cut out, as at 3?, so as to provide the two bearing members 32 and t l, and the transverse arcuate connecting member 33. The cord 25?, when wound about the spindl H, is adapted to be positioned between the two bearing members and 3t so that the holder ill may be grasped in one hand and the car 'ier it suspended or supported from the holder 3!. If desired, the carrier ll) may be supported free of a plane surface and the cord 29 then pulled from the spindle ll so that when the cord 29 is completely unwound the carrier ill will drop downwardly from the holder 34 onto the plane surface and there rotate.

The device hereinbefore described may be constructed out of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic, metal or the like and when in operation will produce any desired secondary or tertiary colors, depending on the particular arrangement of the several colored segments on the upper side of the carrier body it. This device may be used as a toy or educational device by either children or grown-ups, and will teach the user thereof the particular colors which may be obtained by a combination of certain primary or secondary colors.

As the drawing indicates, the toy is very simple. Various color segments are placed in the carrier of the top and the top is spun either by hand or by the device shown. As the top is spun, the various primary colorsred, yellow and bluemix or blend to create a solid color ei'lect in secondary and tertiary colors, according to the combinations of primary colors arranged in the segment faces uppermost. For instance, three yellow segments and three blue segments make a very brilliant green when the top is spun. The ellect is that of a solid color. Yellow and red combined in the same manner make orange, and blue and red make purple. Browns and various other more complicated colors are also made by varying combinations of all three primary colors, red, yellow and blue. Black and white segments are also available to give still wider tone range.

I claim:

1. An aducational toy comprising a rotatable carrier including a vertical spindle, a flat discshaped body fixed to said spindle between the ends of the latter, and upstanding marginal flange carried by said body, a central hub forming member carried by said body, an annular .dange carried by said hub member and a plurality of color forming segments removably seated on the upper side of said body interiorly or said marginal flange, said segments at their inner ends engaging beneath said annular flange, said flanges retaining said segments on the upper side of said body during rapid rotation oi? the latter.

2. An educational toy comprising a rotatable carrier including a vertical spindle, a flat discshaped body fixed to said spindle between the ends or the latter, an upstanding marginal flange carried by said body, a central hub forming member carried by said body, annular flange carried by said hub member and a plurality of color forming segments removably seated on the upper side of said body interiorly of said. annular flange, said segments at their inner ends engaging beneath said annular flange, said flanges retaining said segments on the upper side of said body during rapid rotation of the latter, said spindle having a transverse opening above said body, a cord adapted to have an end extended through said opening and to be wound about said spindle, and a holder engageable with said spindle for holding said spindle during the unwinding of said cord,

3. An educational toy comprising a rotatable carrier including a vertical spindle, a flat discshaped body fixed to said spindle between the ends of the latter, an upstanding marginal flange carried by said body, a central hub forming member carried by said body, an annular flange carried by said hub member and a plurality of color formin segments reinovably seated on the upper side of said body interiorly of said annular flange, said segments at their inner ends engaging beneath said annular flange, said flanges retaining said segments on the upper side of said body during rapid rotation of the latter, said spindle having a transverse opening above said body, a cord adapted to have an end extended through said opening and to be wound about said spindle, and a substantially cylindrical holder loosely engageable about said spindle above and below said opening, said holder having an elongated cutout between the ends thereof whereby the wound cord may be disposed between the ends of the holder with the free end of the cord projecting outwardly of said cutout.

4. An educational toy comprising a rotatable carrier including a vertical spindle, a flat discshaped body fixed to said spindle between the ends of the latter, an upstanding marginal flange carried by said body, a central hub forming member carried by said body, an annular flange carried by said hub member, a plurality of color forming segments removably seated on the upper side of said body interiorly of said annular flange, said segments at their inner ends engaging beneath said annular flange, said flanges retaining said segments on the upper side or said body during rapid rotation of the latter, said spindle having a transverse opening abov said body, a cord adapted to have an end extended through said opening and to be wound about said spindle, and a holder loosely en ageable about said spindle, said holder including upper and lower bearing members and a transversely arcuate connecting member integral with said bearing members,

EDWARD F. DONOVAN. 

